How much does property management cost in Calgary?

Ongoing management typically runs 7–12% of collected rent, tenant placement 50–100% of one month's rent, and lease renewals commonly $150–300. KO Realty charges 8–10% for single-family homes, condos and secondary suites and 5–7% for multi-family of five units and over, with placement at 50–75% of one month's rent.

Is a lower property management percentage always cheaper?

No, and this is the most common costing mistake landlords make. A 10% rate with no add-ons is frequently cheaper over a year than 8% plus a leasing fee, a renewal fee, inspection fees and a 10–20% markup on maintenance invoices. Ask for the total annual cost on your specific property, including one placement, and compare that instead of the headline rate.

Do property managers charge when the unit is vacant?

It depends on the agreement. A fee charged on rent collected produces nothing during a vacancy, which aligns the manager with filling it. A fee charged on rent scheduled, or a flat monthly fee, is payable whether or not anyone is paying rent. Check which basis a quote uses before comparing percentages.

For landlords

What it costs

Published, not quoted on request. The headline percentage is the easy part. What matters is what is not on the list.

Short answer

Calgary property management typically runs 7–12% of collected rent for ongoing management, plus a tenant placement fee of 50–100% of one month's rent, and often a lease renewal fee of $150–300. KO Realty charges 8–10% for single-family homes, condos and secondary suites, 5–7% for multi-family buildings of five units and over, 50–75% of one month's rent for placement and $150–250 on a renewal. Compare total annual cost rather than the headline rate. A lower percentage with stacked add-ons frequently costs more than a higher one without them.

Management

Property	Fee
Single-family homes, condos and secondary suites Charged on rent actually collected, not rent charged. a vacant month costs us too.	8–10% of rent collected
Multi-family buildings, 5 units and over Lower per door because the work per door is lower. Negotiable by size and condition.	5–7% of rent collected

Charged on rent collected, not rent charged. If the unit sits empty, there is no management fee that month. That is the alignment the percentage model is supposed to create, and it only works if the fee follows the money.

One-off fees

When	Fee
Tenant placement Charged once, when a tenant takes possession. Covers pricing, marketing, showings, screening, the tenancy agreement and the move-in inspection.	50–75% of one month's rent
Lease renewal Charged when an existing tenant signs a new term. Deliberately below the market ceiling. renewal is less work than placement and should cost less.	$150–250

What decides where you land in the range

The range is not a negotiating position. It reflects that two doors are rarely the same amount of work. What moves a quote:

Property type and condition. An older house with original mechanicals generates more calls than a five-year-old condo.
Distance. A door inside the Calgary service area costs less to run than one an hour out.
Unit count. More doors under one roof means less travel and fewer separate owner statements.
Furnishing and turnover pattern. A furnished or short-tenancy unit is materially more work per year.
Condition of the existing tenancy. Taking over a file with arrears or no inspection reports is a different job from a clean start.

You get a specific number before you sign anything, and it does not change afterwards without a new agreement.

What is not charged

No markup on maintenance invoices. you pay what the trade charges.
No inspection fees.
No setup or onboarding fee.
No charge to renters, ever. In Alberta the landlord pays the manager.

The maintenance markup is the one worth understanding. A manager who adds 10–20% to every invoice earns more when your furnace costs more, which is not an incentive you want in the person choosing the contractor.

Included in the management fee

Rent collection and owner disbursement
Monthly and year-end statements
Maintenance coordination and vendor management
Move-in and move-out inspection reports
Statutory notices served with the correct dates
Rent reviews against CMHC and observed lease data

How to compare any Calgary quote

Across the market, ongoing management runs roughly 7–12% of collected rent, placement 50–100% of one month's rent, and lease renewals commonly $150–300. The headline rate is not the number that matters.

Ask every manager you speak to for the total of one year on your specific property, including a placement and any renewal, and compare that. A 10% rate with nothing added is frequently cheaper over a year than 8% with a leasing fee, a renewal fee, inspection fees and a markup on every invoice.

The other question worth asking: can you also sell it when I am done? Most property managers hold no real estate licence, so the day you exit they hand back the keys. Holding both licence classes means the rental years and the sale are one relationship, and the maintenance history, rent roll and tenancy record a buyer's agent will ask for are already in hand.

Get a number for your property

Send the address and I'll come back with what it should rent for, what it costs to run, and what management would total over a year.

Property management services are provided through Ko Realty Ltd.. Rent and security deposits are held in the brokerage trust account as required by the Real Estate Act and the Residential Tenancies Act.

General information about Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act, not legal advice. Rules change and individual situations vary. For a dispute, contact the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) or a lawyer. Rules current as of 2026-08-11.

Last updated 2026-08-19 · Written by Mohammad Emon, REALTOR® (SRES®) & Licensed Property Manager, KO Realty · RECA licence LIC-00666633

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